This stems from a conversation Adi and I were having yesterday. There is absolutely nothing new in this, but I feel many of us forget this and a reminder is needed. If for noone else, I need to write this for myself....as usual it's unfiltered
We are all indulgent.
No, don't even try to deny it.
Indulgence is not just about overspending on luxuries.
It is mostly understood in that sense, but then what are luxuries and what are necessities?
Don't we all define things just the way they suit us?
Buying a huge villa for a small family is an indulgence, spending on expensive clothes, cars, vacations, gadgets, all indulgences...
But who are we to judge anyone on how they spend their money be it hard earned or inherited unless off course it's by illegal means.
We often judge celebrities based on how much they earn, how much they donate, how rich their lifestyles are. This is a national hobby. Do we know really know them as people, do we know the work they put in, the stress they suffer? I know I am going against popular public opinion but bear with me for some more time.
The point is we judge
We judge people we don't know anything about, we judge people we think we know based on their social media, we judge people we think we know based on what persona they are showing us, we judge friends, we judge family.
All for what? Based on what our definition is of needs and luxuries and indulgences.
Being born is an indulgence,
So is getting an education,
Staying single is an indulgence so is getting married
Not having kids is an indulgence so is having one or two or a dozen
Staying as a nuclear family is an indulgence so is staying with parents or in-laws.
Leaving a stable job to start a business is an indulgence but so is doing a stable job.
This list can go on
Problem is, getting well-educated, getting married, staying with in-laws, having kids, having a stable job are "society- approved" indulgences so they automatically become the norm.
Anything beyond the norm becomes an indulgence, becomes self-centred behavior.
Everyone chooses based on what suits their situation, none of us is a saint, when we choose something we compromise on something else and all of us have to live with the results of our choices.
Again, making new choices is deemed an indulgence but sticking to older choices and not making new ones is also an indulgence!
The other end of "society- approved" indulgences are "rebel" indulgences. There are a chunk of us who look down upon everything that's society-approved and in the quest to be different we end up creating new norms and stigmas and rigidities.
Living a simple lifestyle in itself is an indulgence because one chooses to do so.
Like I said before, none of us is a saint, some indulge in food, some in gadgets, some in homes, some in travel, some in spiritualism, some in living independently, some in living with family.
The question arises that if we all give in to our indulgences what would happen to the less fortunate... There comes the humanity in us, how much can we control ourselves, how much can we help others with and in what ways.
However, no one person can judge another on how, where and why they give in to some indulgences or not.
This became way to lengthy than it was meant to be.
As always one line sums it up-
Live and let live
But because it's me, I ain't satisfied with one line. So here goes-
Shove your unwanted opinions up your judgemental asses.... Oh and
Live and let live
Pssst- pic was just to grab attention 🙈 but it does show we love indulging in food!
